Chrome -Pot Metal

[moparfinman]

I know that this does not apply to 46-48 Ply. because they used stainless, but I have a 52 DeSoto and the grille teeth are pitted badly and one has a hole in it. How do you prepair them for chrome? or can they be repaired??

[busycoupe]

It can be repaired, but it is a very labor intensive job. I visited a chrome shop in Massachusetts and they showed me how they rebuild the metal by filling holes by welding (brazing?) They then grind the patch to shape and buff. The raw metal has to be polished as smooth as the final plating or else the plating will show scratches. The piece is then copper plated, buffed again, then chrome plated. There are many shops that will do this for a price. ($$$) Paul's Chrome is one shop listed in Hemmings. The place I visited was NuChrome in Fall River, MA. I had good luck with them plating my bumper, but I have heard that some people have had problems with them, so I am reluctant to recommend them. The pot metal can be made to look new, but the cost to do all of the pieces on one of our old cars can easily be more than the car is worth.

Good Luck,

Dave

[Young Ed]

As a rough estimate I've heard $1 a pit. That adds up quickly!

[michael.warshaw]

any pot metal can be repiared, its basic boddy work 101, when the pot metal pits, the pit needs to be grounded out and filled back with metal then sanded flush and chromed, looks great when done. but pricey.

[Skrambler]

Had a 37 Plymouth hood ornament done by Nu-Chrome. The salesman that has a booth/spot at the AACA Hershey Meet every year told me that the pitting, that was not greatly spread over the part, would be "no problem!" I paid the man half of the quoted cost, and he stated that it would be about a 60 day turn-around. I agreed to the project and walked away happy. Three months passed, and I was writing a new year on my checks, so I thought that I best check in on the progress. Once reaching the salesman that took my order, he stated that the overwhelming amount of orders gathered from the 4 day event has set the finish time for my ornament behind schedule. New date was an additional 6 weeks... Well, you guessed it, two months came and went and not a peep from the shop. Another phone call only brought further disappointments... Finally, in JUNE of the following year, (8 months later) I receive a call that my ornament is done! Hurray!!! Quickly, I sent the second half of my payment, to expedite it's return. Upon receiving the ornament disappointment set in. There were grind marks, and sags in the pot metal. Basically, a shadow of what once was a decent hood ornament. Calling them on it, they told me they did the best they could do with the part, and that I should be happy with the work and time they put into it.... RIGHT.....I put the ornament in a box, and basically forgot about this experience for several years.

One day, looking though some "stuff" I came upon that expensive blob of shiny nothingness, and it simply happened to fall a week or so before the next AACA Hershey Meet. So, I took it with me. Upon finding the gentleman that I had dealt with several years prior, I asked him about this hood ornament, I asked if he could help me "restore" it? Yikes, he replied! what happened to it?!!!

Well, needless to say, I was able to tell my story, once again to him, now in front of a small crowd of people interested in his service... SWEEEET!!!

[Plymouthy Adams]

a good chrome shop is usually backed up and expensive...a bad chrome shop is usually backed up and expensive..

[ggdad1951]

yes, my truck parts are now 6 weeks behind "schedule" and I have no solid date yet when I'll get them back....

as my co-worker said (nationally known huge hot rodder), chromers care less about you, your parts, or your timeline.

[austinsailor]

I've tried twice to get my headlight doors for my 40 dodge sedan done. First guy promised the world, and $250 later I got them back, shiny, but simply buffed and sanded until the pits were gone, then chromed. They didn't resemble the originals.

Sent another pair to a more expensive place after discussing how unhappy I was with the first place and the problems. $500 later, I had 2 more that were not quite as sanded away, still not at all what you'd want.

A friend sent a part for a boat, a bow light I think, to some people in St. Louis. He knew some of the family who owned it and they promised to do a good job. They did, and charged him $150. He thought it was highway robbery. I thought it was a wonderful deal

I can get the name of the place if anyone wants to try it.

I met a guy at the "Back to the Future" show a couple years ago who does this. He admits it's not cheap, had samples of his work and seemed to understand what people expected. His prices were not cheap, but what you'd expect for that sort of work. His name was George Iverson, Minnetonka MN, 952-932-9026. If anyone has used him I'd be interested in hearing how it went. I have some I need to do as well.

[busycoupe]

I visited Nuchrome in Jan. 2009. They were going through some kind of reorganization at the time. Their acid and plating vats were empty and about to be re-filled. I left my bumper and half the cost of plating. I got a call 30 days later to pick it up. I did, and the work was done well. I don't know if they have cleaned up their act, or if I happened to get there at the right time. I had heard stories like Skrambler's. but decided to take a chance with them anyways. I think that I was lucky.

Can anyone recommend a good place to get my other bumper chromed?

Dave

[roadworthy]

A friend sent a part for a boat, a bow light I think, to some people in St. Louis. He knew some of the family who owned it and they promised to do a good job. They did, and charged him $150. He thought it was highway robbery. I thought it was a wonderful deal

I can get the name of the place if anyone wants to try it.

if it's the same place I'm thinking of here in St. Louis, they do really good work for a really good price. A friend of mine had some pieces chromed there and they look great.

[rockable]

Chrome work is very labor intensive and, therefore, expensive. If you are not willing to pay a good shop to do it right the first time, find you the best old part you can find and live with it. Go with shops that have been recommended to you and, especially ask to see some of their die cast repair and replate work. Desoto grills will be very expensive to put right....but they look so cool!

[JerseyHarold]

Have you considered sanding the pits, filling with body filler or glazing putty, then going with the spray-on chrome? It might be a cost-effective alternative.

[mackster]

Have you considered sanding the pits, filling with body filler or glazing putty, then going with the spray-on chrome? It might be a cost-effective alternative.

thats what im going to do! i hope it works out for me!

[Rusty O'Toole]

A year or so back I hunted up some 52 DeSoto grille parts for a friend. Found several sets including a guy in Australia who is reproducing the grille in aluminum. I don't have the web site but if you do a search you should be able to find him.

[austinsailor]

Triangle Plating is the place in St. Louis is the place my friend used. He worked with the owner's daughter somewhere else, so he might have gotten a little better attention, but it appears they are capable of good work.

[ggdad1951]

Triangle Plating is the place in St. Louis is the place my friend used. He worked with the owner's daughter somewhere else, so he might have gotten a little better attention, but it appears they are capable of good work.

the reviews of the place are interesting. From "best in the world" type to "Satan could do better" type.

Edited February 16, 2012 by ggdad1951

[chopt50wgn]

Sometimes getting parts powedercoated in Almost Chrome can be another solution. Yes, it is not chrome, it is shiny and cleans off with a soft rag.

[Captain Neon]

Triangle Plating is the place in St. Louis is the place my friend used. He worked with the owner's daughter somewhere else, so he might have gotten a little better attention, but it appears they are capable of good work.

When I lived in MO, gave serious thought to having them do my bumpers. Due to excessive work hours pulling my oar in the galley (with out pay or bonus), and the nearly constant rain in No. Cent. MO during the summer, my '46 more door actually never left the garage in 2009 from Memorial Day to Labour Day. Now that I live in Kansas, I have been having too much fun being able to drive on the weekends that chrome work has taken a back seat.

[fstfish66]

[i had pot metal tail lite housings rechromed by PAULS chrome in PA,,, as seen on my classic car on speed channel,,,granted the housing i took to them had very little amount of pitting,,,25 year search,,,thats another story,,, but they were finished sooner then the date they gave me,,,, altho not cheap,,,but perfect job,,and they warranty there work for as long as you own the car,,,here is a pic of that tail lite/COLOR]